How to Make Dashi: Explore the 3 Types of Dashi

Dashi refers to a group of Japanese cooking stocks. The most common, awase dashi, is made by steeping thick sheets of dried kelp (kombu) with katsuobushi—fermented, dried shavings of either skipjack tuna or bonito—in either cold or hot water. Dashi is much lighter than other soup stocks, like chicken broth or bone broth, which rely on long cooking times to extract as much flavor as possible from the stock’s contents.

When combined with soy sauce and mirin, dashi becomes kakejiru, a sweet and savory broth for kake udon. You can also mix dashi into batters to make fried dishes like okonomiyaki, a savory pancake featuring cabbage and eggs, or tempura, a crisp, rice flour-based coating.

Dashi is the base for various Japanese dishes, including miso soup, ramen, and soba. Here are the main types of dashi:

1. 1. Awase dashi: The most common type of dashi combines kombu dashi (made with kelp) and katsuo dashi (made with dried bonito flakes) for a stock rich in naturally occurring glutamic acids and sodium inosinate—creating dashi’s signature umami flavor.
2. 2. Iriko dashi: Also known as niboshi dashi, this type of dashi swaps dried anchovies (iriko) or sardines (niboshi) for bonito.
3. 3. Shiitake dashi: You can use dried shiitake mushrooms, with or without kombu, to make a vegetarian or vegan dashi. Steeping the dried mushrooms during the cooking process rehydrates them, imparting umami flavor into the broth.

Most Asian grocery stores carry instant dashi powder, but these products contain glutamates (MSG) to enhance flavors. However, you can make dashi at home in a handful of steps:

• Combine kombu and water. To make a simple awase dashi, combine one sheet of kombu with 3–5 cups of water (the less water, the stronger the dashi) in a medium pot over medium heat. Just before boiling, remove the kombu and set it aside. The kombu is only cooked long enough to infuse the water, resulting in a more subtle effect.
• Add fish flakes. Add a ½ cup to 1 cup of dried fish flakes to the water, and allow to boil. Reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook for just under a minute. Remove the pot from heat, and set it aside to steep for 15 minutes.
• Strain. Using a mesh strainer, strain until the broth is clear. You can reuse strained ingredients to make niban dashi. A second steeping of the ingredients results in an even lighter flavor profile.

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